Trump Says No One Could Have Predicted Hurricane at Peak of Hurricane Season

As communities throughout the southeastern United States reel from the impact of Hurricane Helene, Donald Trump is focused on blaming Democrats and ensuring his campaign capitalizes on the tragedy which has killed more than 100 people. 

On Monday, the former president traveled to Valdosta, Georgia, a community in the southern region of the state that has been devastated by the category 4 hurricane. 

Upon arriving in Georgia, Trump told reporters that he hasn’t spoken to President Joe Biden since Helene made landfall over the weekend. “No, I haven’t reached out to him, no,” he said. “I think he’s sleeping right now, actually.”

Trump added that Governor Brian Kemp (R) is “doing a good job” but that “he’s having a hard time getting the president on the phone.” The claim appears to be a flat-out lie, as Kemp said on Monday that he spoke with President Joe Biden on Sunday, and that Biden told him to call him directly “if there’s other things we need” and that Kemp “appreciated” it.

During a press conference in front of a building that had been reduced to rubble, Trump claimed that “nobody thought” a hurricane of this magnitude could strike the United States “so late in the [hurricane] season.” 

As viewers were quick to point out, hurricane season in the United States is considered to last from early June through late November — and we are currently in the peak of it. Even as states around the gulf reel from the impact of Helene, the National Hurricane Center continues to track five additional storm systems near the East Coast. 

Trump has regularly scoffed at the climate crisis creating more extreme weather events like Hurricane Helene, claiming that rising sea levels will only create more beachfront property. When asked on Monday whether Helene would cause him to change his stance on the issue, he said “no.” The former president also took time during the visit to distribute supplies collected by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian charity headed by the Rev. Franklin Graham. 

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Earlier on Monday, Biden delivered a press conference from the White House where he provided updates on the federal response to the crisis. Over the weekend, Biden approved Major Disaster declarations in Florida and North Carolina, as well as emergency declarations in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama. According to the White House, “more than 3,300 personnel from across the federal workforce are deployed and supporting Hurricane Helene response efforts across the impacted states,” including a widespread multi-state response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).    

Regardless of the actual on-the-ground efforts to bring relief to people who remain trapped in flooded areas — and cut off from basic supplies like food, water, and electricity — Trump is using the tragedy to browbeat Democrats ahead of the November election. 

Earlier on Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social about the devastation, baselessly accusing Democrats of withholding relief from “Republican areas.” He also accused Vice President Kamala Harris of staging a photo showing her on a phone call with FEMA Director Deanne Criswell. “Another FAKE and STAGED photo from someone who has no clue what she is doing. You have to plug the cord into the phone for it to work,” Trump wrote. It’s unclear what cord the former president was referring to, as Harris is pictured with a cell phone in front of her. 

“They have left Americans to drown in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere in the South. Under this Administration, Americans always come last, because we have ‘leaders’ who have no idea how to lead!” Trump added. 

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As Valdosta and other towns in Helene’s path reckon with the destruction leveled upon them, some residents and politicians feel now is not the time for resource-intensive visits from high-profile political figures. One resident of Valdosta told CBS News that they were ambivalent about “dignitary visits right now.”

Biden and Harris have indicated that they intend to travel to the region, but only after first responders assure them that their presence will not be disruptive to aid work.